Hardcover | October 6, 2015

Pricing and Purchase Info

about

Can a man with a demanding job really be a good father? All Out is a bracingly honest answer from Emmy and Gemini Award-winning anchorman Kevin Newman and his grown son, Alex. Confessional and provocative, their memoir is also a touching meditation on ambition, absence and family that will resonate with every parent and child who've ever struggled to connect and understand each other.

Kevin Newman wanted to be a family man in an era when fathers are expected to be more engaged than ever before; he also wanted to reach the top of a profession that demands 24/7 commitment. The higher he climbed, the more irreconcilable those aspirations seemed. Meanwhile, his artistic, solitary son, Alex, was wrestling with his own competing ambitions: to be the sporty, popular son his dad wanted, and to be true to himself. Paradoxically, their attempts to live up to expectations--their own, and each other's--were driving them apart. Then, two parallel identity crises forced a reckoning. Kevin reached the summit of American network television, becoming co-host of Good Morning America--where he was instructed to develop a "quarterback" persona and change his accent, mannerisms, personality, hairstyle and everything else that made him Kevin. At the same time, Alex was realizing he was gay, but frantically trying to mask and change that fact. Both felt like failures and hungered for one another's approval, but didn't know how to bridge their differences. Today, a decade later, they retrace their steps (and missteps) to reinventing their relationship and becoming one another's role models for what it means to be a man in our culture. All Out is a moving chronicle of all the ways that fathers and sons misunderstand and disappoint one another--and a powerful reminder that they can become closer not despite their differences, but because of them.

As co-host of Good Morning America, founding anchor of Global National, and currently anchor/correspondent at CTV News, KEVIN NEWMAN has been a familiar face to television viewers in Canada and the US for decades. As an Emmy Award–winning network news correspondent, he has travelled the world, and reported from hotspots such as Iraq an...

Loading

Title:All Out: A Father And Son Confront The Hard Truths That Made Them Better MenFormat:HardcoverDimensions:320 pages, 9.1 × 6.2 × 1.2 inPublished:October 6, 2015Publisher:Random House of CanadaLanguage:English

Educational/Developmental Value:

Durability:

Hours of Play:

Thank you. Your review has been submitted and will appear here shortly.

Reviews

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Bobby_Karmakar from
Manhood, Masculinity, SelfKevin Newman was a person I noticed on TV a lot, most noticeably on Global with his unique feature at I believe 5:30 on weeknights, Global National with Kevin Newman. As the end of the book was nearing, the memories of that show mainly reminded me of how that was his ambition and remember fondly this was about what he wanted to report and speak on. The rest of the book is also about his career, and most importantly, how he came to be a father, notably with his son, Alex Newman.
Both Kevin and Alex have faced courageous journeys through failure in Kevin’s career, as well as most importantly the struggles they have both individually conquered. Though to each other, they did not realize they were each suffering from something until the writing of this book, it was the process that both of them each went through personally, and also the connection of how they became closer than ever before. In fact, the biggest of all was their relationship as father and son.
This book was tough to put down. The inside story of Kevin Newman is one that can be relatable to many people, most notably to show what it means to be a man. Not because they are simply male, but rather because men also have feelings and insecurities that are explored in All Out by both Kevin and Alex. On Alex Newman, his struggles were the ones I related to as I often wondered what Kevin would have thought as he read them. Evidently, they have united to become better men for not only themselves but to each other.
In memoirs, I enjoy reading about the person's life and memories of their experiences. What I love most is when I can discover something about themselves they've unveiled, and even better, how that can relate to yourself then make that as an opportunity to grow and be better. That includes me. All Out was such the case, and I wish everyone reading this will also pick this book up for themselves, then share it with someone else.

Date published: 2017-09-23

Rated 5 out of
5 by
nancy w from
Honest Look at a Difficult TopicI enjoyed this book from start to finish. As parents, we like to think we have a pretty good handle on things; reading Kevin and Alex's completely different views of a common situation tells us otherwise. I love that the chapters were written separately . It gives readers a unique look at the relationship between a father and son, or any parent and their child. Very well written, and hopefully this will help parents and kids deal with their differences in a healthy, respectful way. No child should ever be kicked out of the house, or shamed for something they did not or could not choose.

Date published: 2015-10-19

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Bookish from
One of the best books on families I've ever readThough this book is about the particular dynamics of one family, it applies to all families. I'm not a famous journalist but I've made a lot of the parenting mistakes Kevin Newman did, and was kind of amazed that I could relate to him. He's a guy you'd want to have a beer with, not full of himself at all. I could relate to Alex, too, though I'm 100% not gay. He grew up in his dad's shadow, as all kids do, and I could empathize with his struggle to be his own person and live his own truth, at the same time that I understood where Kevin was coming from as a parent. What's so moving is the way they both keep fighting to make their relationship deeper, even when they can't find common ground. This book took me inside another family in a way I haven't experienced before, because you get two very different perspectives on the family. Really a great read.

Date published: 2015-10-19

Rated 5 out of
5 by
MAPLELEAF from
Amazing Read for FamiliesI'm not one for celebrity memoirs, because usually they're sanitized to the point of being unreadable, but I couldn't put this one down. The story is told through the lens of Kevin Newman’s journalism career as he juggled the difficulties of work and family, but the twist is that every other chapter is written by his son, Alex, telling his version of their family story. That set-up forces a pretty extreme form of honesty, and you see how a father and son with the best of intentions can wind up feeling misunderstood and judged by each other. As a reporter, Kevin focuses on facts and thoughts, while Alex writes more about feelings and impressions, so you get two very different takes on the same family. By the end of the book, you feel like you really know these guys, and understand what they've been through. It's not self-help, but it definitely helped me think about a range of issues. Pretty powerful stuff and really well-written.

Date published: 2015-10-18

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Meryl from
Teens and parents: read this one!I ordered this pre-publication, sure Kevin Newman would be associated with a high-quality book. I was not disappointed! To say this is "just" about a gay son's coming out would be to underestimate it quite drastically. The learning curve both Kevin and Alex dealt with applies to a wide range of issues about which parents and teens have difficulty communicating. I hope lots of parents and teens read this book and talk about it, addressing whatever their particular issues happen to be. Those who can read it without tearing up at any point are made of very stern stuff.

Date published: 2015-10-17

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Tamireads from
Must read!I just finished an Advanced Reader Copy of All Out by Kevin and Alex Newman and I've got to tell you how good it is!
At this point when All Out goes to shelf in October it will be put in the Alternative Parenting section...I hope that changes because I would hate to see this pigeon holed into such a small category. All Out needs to reach a larger audience. To me this is a Biography through and through. Written in alternating voices, Kevin and Alex lay bare their various struggles in a most honest and insightful way. This is a book about parenting, fatherhood, manhood, coming out, acceptance, work/life balance, and family love.
I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at news reporting that Kevin gives us, especially during his time at ABC. I had no idea he co-hosted Good Morning Amercia...to me he is Canadian news reporting all the way! I love that through his career he valued truth in reporting and never sold out. When it came to family he is honest about his failures and truthful about how he examined his own feelings when his son came out.
Alex, what a strong boy who turned into a successful man! He is completely open about sharing his experiences growing up feeling like an outsider and dealing with school bullies. He gracefully expresses his very personal thoughts about his sexuality as a young man and generously allows us to see how he sorted through all the fear, confusion and shame to come to a place of pride and acceptance.
This is a beautiful read for fathers and sons but I highly recommend this for everyone to read as its lessons are so profound.

Date published: 2015-08-02

Editorial Reviews

“The raw honesty that Kevin and Alex Newman have brought to their memoir, All Out, helped me to better see and understand the inevitably vast gap between father and son, as well as the strength of the bond. This book made me think, smile, frown, close my eyes, and hope to do a better job in the future as a father. A must read.” —Chris Hadfield “This is more than just a coming out story. It’s much bigger than that. In this surprising and searingly honest tale, Kevin and Alex Newman confront the fearful gulf that often separates fathers and sons in public and private. The journey across that divide is really the journey to becoming a complete person. I couldn’t help but cheer for them as they made the crossing.” —Charles Montgomery, author of the bestselling Happy City “A wildly entertaining memoir, told from two very different perspectives, that explores ‘how to’ and ‘how not to’ navigate the complicated relationship between father and son. Charming, funny, touching and raw. I loved this book.” —Rick Mercer “Kevin Newman’s emotional honesty devastated me. What makes him a great journalist is that he’s not willing to let the truth off the hook. What makes him a great father is that he’s not willing to let himself off the hook. This is a powerful father-son story that challenges stereotypes of what it means to be a man and what it means to be a parent. I loved it.” —Elaine Lui “Kevin Newman, one of Canada’s great journalists, looks within and opens up to tell his own story with unflinching honesty. In a unique writing partnership with his son, Alex, each man reveals his own painful secrets in a book that proves the cut-throat world of TV network news isn’t remotely as challenging as navigating the unexpected curveballs of family life. This is an important, sensitive and brave journey through the parallel lives of this father and son. On one level, it’s a help book for parents and their kids; on another, it provides fascinating insight into the real side of TV news where the glamour is short and the hours are long. Kevin and Alex Newman each confront and ultimately conquer what confuses and scares them—and all of us.” —Lisa LaFlamme “Trust always takes courage which makes this a brave book—a product of deep mutual trust between a father and a son, members of a family, a high-profile journalist and a huge following of people who believe they know and understand him. In All Out Kevin Newman and his courageous family allow themselves to be reconsidered in the context of one of the most complex human dramas of our time. Bravo Kevin, Cathy, Alex, Erica.” —Linden MacIntyre, author of Punishment, Why Men Lie and The Bishop’s Man“As a public figure, you learn to guard your privacy. I’m grateful Kevin Newman didn’t, because his willingness to be vulnerable is going to change lives. This courageous book is a must-read for any parent.” —Arlene Dickinson, bestselling author of Persuasion and former star of Dragon's Den“As a son, father and husband All Out was like reading my own story. Generations of men have defined themselves by how well they provide, protect, and guide their children. Kevin and Alex Newman were forced to find a deeper connection, or face losing each other and themselves. This is a groundbreaking book for accomplished and driven men (and women!) struggling to have it all.” —Jody Mitic, military sniper, Amazing Race finalist, author of Unflinching“Whether you’re attempting to strengthen the connection within a father-son relationship or searching for answers to the masculinity conundrum—Kevin and Alex provide a revealing perspective on the male experience that men open to the conversation need to read. There’s a NEWMAN-liness in town—and it’s ALL OUT.” —Shea Emry, two-time Grey Cup champion Linebacker and current Saskatchewan RoughRider